Community Development through Morcha

The two Community Based Organisations (CBOs) – Ghad Khsettra Mazdoor Morcha and Mahila Mazdoor Evam Laghu Kisan Morcha, together popularly called morchas, owe their roots to a few people’s struggles including equal wages and land right movement led by Disha in 1980s and 90s. Through community mobilisation they continue to address various rural development issues in the operational area.

The morcha is divided into four village clusters and meetings of all four clusters are held on 24th of every month at Disha Training Centre. Issues and concerns are discussed and strategies are developed to deal with them. Morcha members work closely with the local self governing bodies (gram panchayats) in the villages.

Each morcha cluster has a number Area Level Morcha Committees. Currently capacity building of Area Level Morcha Committees continues on pre-identified issues (land, wages, social service, natural resources, social harmony, political processes, violence against women, employment and right to information).

The morcha members/activists are involved in advocacy and direct action at the village, block, tehsil and district level and thousands of poor in the villages have claimed their entitlements for housing, jobs, pensions, rations and the like through the assistance of morcha activists.